Information for patients
If you are a patient reading this and have a concern about an MRI scan you are scheduled to attend, we strongly recommend you contact the site where your scan is due to take place, you may also wish to refer to our ‘Information for Patients’ section. Please note local variations to the policies detailed on this website may apply, therefore please contact the hospital where your appointment is scheduled for clarification.
Disclaimer (MUST READ)
The MRI safety information contained within this webpage is intended for use by staff from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) and associated health boards, namely: NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Borders, NHS Dumfries & Galloway, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Golden Jubilee, and NHS Lanarkshire. Only staff from these health boards are approved to use this information and local variations to the policies detailed may apply. Non-approved users i.e. patients and staff from health boards other than those listed above, or staff from private medical organisations use this information at their own risk. We, NHS GGC, accept no responsibility for patient injury or adverse outcomes that may occur as a consequence of the information contained herein. If you have any questions regarding this disclaimer, please contact the NHS GGC MRI physics team on: ggc.MRSafetyExpert@nhs.scot.
MRI safety implant policy for patients with coronary stents
Must read: What this policy does not cover / notable exceptions
This policy does not cover the use of MRI on patients with stents other than coronary stents
Must read: What the policy covers
This policy covers the use of 1.5T and 3T MRI on patients with coronary stents. That is, this policy covers considerations for both single and multiple overlapping coronary stents.
Must read: The MR safety policy
Patients with single or multiple overlapping coronary stents, immediately following stent implantation, 1.5T or 3T MRI can safely proceed using the Normal Operating Mode of the scanner. Multiple pulse sequences per protocol are allowed but any single sequence must not exceed 15 mins in length.
Risk assessment: A risk assessment underpinning this policy can be found here:
GenericRiskAssessmentForm_coronary_stents_MSG_where_the_db_dt_is_exceeded
GenericRiskAssessmentForm_multiple_coronary_stents
GenericRiskAssessmentForm_single_coronary_stents
Additional background information and discussion
According to the MHRA (2014 section 4.11.2.4) each coronary stent needs to be identified to determine its MRI safety status, usually by reference to the manufacturer’s literature. However, to date, it should be noted that no coronary stent has ever been shown to represent a hazard at 1.5T or 3T MRI. There has also never been an adverse incident reported involving MR scanning of a coronary stent(s). Thus, the generic policy presented above, based on a review of the evidence and a risk assessment, goes beyond the recommendations of the MHRA guidelines.
Additional links on the use of MRI safety in patients with coronary stents